Nobody Is Perfect
by PWTMC
Summary: Sakura is a military wife, married to Naruto, an active duty Marine she sees just thirty days out of the year. She meets Sasuke Uchiha, a model from a rich family who's there to assuage her perpetual needs. NaruSaku, SasuSaku. - There may or may not be a happy ending.


OOO

"I'll miss you." Sakura said, struggling to keep her happy face on over the pressing need to cry burning at her throat and eyes.

Naruto smiled down at her, soft lips and softer eyes. Her facade was one hundred percent see-through. He made that much obvious. Sakura bit at her own lower lip in unwelcome anticipation. She had done this a million times before, but it never got easier. It seemed like each time got harder. She didn't want to let Naruto go. She wanted to beg him to stay home, to go AWOL if he had to.

But that wouldn't be very fair of her.

"It's almost over." The blond replied, "Just one more year and I'll be home for good. And I'll be home for your birthday this year. I have ten more days of shore leave I've yet to use."

Sakura knew that Naruto didn't make empty promises, but the thought of seeing him only ten more days out of three hundred sixty five or so was depressing.

Naruto leaned in, his smile shifting from sympathetic to something else entirely as he whispered, "After my tour is over, we can have a real wedding."

At those words, Sakura could pull a smile any time. She was twenty-one and hopeful, and her wedding had been nothing more than signing a paper at city hall. Naruto only got so many days off a year, after all. It was difficult coordinating these things with a man that was off fighting a war.

Still, when Naruto decided to join four years ago she knew what she was in for. And now she only had one more year to get through. Just one more year of sleeping alone. Just one more year of letters and care packages before she could talk to him face to face whenever she wanted.

Naruto laced his fingers with his wife's and his gold wedding band felt cold and heavy against Sakura's heated skin. She wanted that real wedding. She wanted Naruto to come home to her safe and happy and for them to have a real future.

And the waiting games put a real stress on her. She was beyond tired of military bureaucracy. If you asked her she'd say the men and women that fight and die for Konoha didn't get nearly enough back for their spilled blood. Naruto got to make one phone call home a month if he was lucky.

"You better get back to me quick." Sakura replied, "I don't want to have to pick flowers and cake by myself."

Naruto quirked an eyebrow, "You better believe I'm gonna be there to pick cake. I love cake."

"Yeah, I bet. Cake isn't really in high demand on base, huh?"

Just as another smile began to stretch across her face, it was pulled back in by the monotone voice on the loudspeaker announcing Naruto's plane was now boarding. He had to go and Sakura wouldn't be seeing him for quite a while.

The familiar lump was beginning to form in her throat and he chest started to feel tight. This was goodbye once again. She was tired of goodbyes.

Naruto sighed, looking toward his gate. Among numerous civilians were a small handful of Marines in their fatigues, probably waiting for the rest of their men before boarding. Naruto was one of those men. He shifted his glance from his future back to the young woman standing in front of him. "I promise I'll call when I get back to base."

Sakura nodded, unable to find words. She feared that if she opened her mouth she'd start crying and she wouldn't stop. Although, if her crying meant Naruto would miss his plane she would do it in a heart beat. Naruto would never be late for work, though.

"Come here." The Marine commanded, separating his hand from Sakura's to pull her into an embrace. Sakura readily leaned against him, throwing her arms up and around strong, broad shoulders. Her chest pressed against his as she was surrounded by firm, muscular arms and she closed her eyes, taking in the slight scent of his shampoo. She would like to have that scent cataloged for long nights by herself, but it was one of those things she always forgot at the most inconvenient times.

Naruto's grip on her was tight and, much to her dismay, she didn't think of it as a loving gesture. She thought of it as a part of the inner Marine in him shining through. She wasn't admiring Naruto for being tall and athletic, she was admiring a body built by a physically demanding four years in the corps.

The first time Naruto came back to her, right after he graduated basic training, she almost couldn't believe the difference. And she doesn't know how that fact sits with her any more.

"I'll really, really miss you." Sakura repeated, her voice muffled by Naruto's shoulder.

"I'll really, really miss you, too." Naruto replied, pulling out of the hug to look at her.

"Come back to me with all your limbs intact, okay?" She said, the struggle for composure steadily heading south.

"I promise."

Naruto's fingers brushed Sakura's face and she realized her husband had just wiped a stray tear off her cheek, one she hadn't even notice sliding down her face.

"Don't do that." Naruto said, laughing quietly, almost stilted, "You'll get me started."

"I'm sorry." Sakura apologized, bringing her own hands up to her face only to have them pulled away again. Naruto leaned down for a quick, chaste kiss – nothing that she would want to remember him by.

"I love you." He said. One more kiss and he was gone, ruck slung over one shoulder as he made his way toward his war buddies at the gate. He was walking that hurried, brisk walk of his that was near impossible for Sakura to keep up with. His long legs could move unbelievably fast with a miniscule amount of effort. It was something he was probably extremely grateful for at boot camp.

Naruto turned back just as he reached his group to scream out another, "I love you, Sakura!" over the rest of the noise of the busy airport. Heads turned and she blushed, waving him off.

That was something she'd never want to forget.

OOO

"So, how was it?"

Sakura frowned into her cup of coffee, refusing to look over at Tenten across the table. She was still noticeably bummed from having the love of her life torn from her arms by his stupid job and she didn't want to go home. Right now Tenten was her best friend and so Tenten's place seemed like the logical place to go.

Tenten's fiance was in the Army and the two of them, along with Ino – a fellow military wife – did almost everything together these days. They had all the same fears of their men coming home in boxes and all the same concerns of what to put in their care packages. It was only natural that they would treat each other like walking, talking, breathing human diaries. Especially when they each came with their own stories and advice that could often come in handy to the rest of the party.

Too bad Sakura forgot that Tenten's fiance would be home for the rest of the week.

Talk about awkward.

From their chairs in the kitchen they could both hear the running water in the shower, a blunt and perpetual show of Neji's existence in the house. Sakura couldn't be more jealous.

Finally, she sighed and looked over at her friend's concerned expression.

"I cried at the airport." She said, "I hate sending him away like that and I tried to keep it in, but I couldn't."

"Oh, Sakura! You know he doesn't care about that. I'm sure he's fine."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You know how it is. I just don't like a sad goodbye. It feels like a jinx. I mean, what if it's our last, right?"

Tenten frowned. Of course she knew, Sakura had heard all her stories, after all. But in an effort to make her friend feel better, she told her "It doesn't really matter if you look at it logically. You're just sad to see him go. At least he knows he's loved."

Sakura didn't seem convinced.

The running water stopped and the sound of the shower curtain being tugged open followed. Sakura cleared her throat, back straightening in her chair. "Maybe I should go."

"Will you be okay to drive?" The brunette asked, standing up. She pushed her chair in, never letting her glance slip from her friend's.

Sakura laughed the question off, though it came off as anything but genuine. "My husband is on his way to the same foreign country he's been in for three years. He'll be okay, I just miss him. It's not like I was just delivered his flag or anything. I'm fine. Really."

"If you say so."

They hugged and Sakura left.

OOO


End file.
